Musical instrument



(No Model.)

A. H. MERRILL. I MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 555,651. Patented Mar. 3, 1896.

WITNESSES: INVE 0/? A 7TORNE Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT HERVE MERRILL, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,651, dated March 3,1896. Application filed May 24,1895. Serial No. 550,542. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT HERVE MER- BILL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State ofGeorgia, have invented a new, original, and

vuseful Musical Instrument, termed a Chordola, of which the followingdescription, in

connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification. a

My invention relates to a stringed musical instrum ent of the percussionclass, of the guitar and mandolin type, in that it is in-. tended to bepicked by the fingers or a plectrum of horn or metal, the tones thereofhaving a peculiar and distinct character to itself and harmonizing moreperfectly with the tones of the violin or bow family of musicalinstruments than any other stringed instrument heretofore made or used,and possessing greater carrying power or penetration of tone than any ofthe similar classes of stringed instruments, rendering it avaluable anduseful addition to the musical world for solo, concert, and orchestralwork. I attain this re sult by making a body or sound-box with eggshapedhoop or sides and graduated convex back and top, to the upper extremityof which and as a continuation of the main air-chamber is a smallersecondary air-chamber, both said air-chambers being necessary tov obtainthe required tone. To the upper end of the secondary air-chamber isattached the neck, and 011 the top surface of the neck is fastened thefinger-board, furnished with metal frets at the proper intervals toproduce the tones and semitones. At the upper end of the neck is thecarved head or scroll, furnished with any number of pegs or keys(according to the number of strings used, my preference being six toeight) to stretch the strings to the proper tension in order to obtainthe notes or tones desired. The lower end of the fingerboard does notrest upon nor touch the top of the body or sound-box, but projects overit to any sufficient distance for the required number of frets.

The top and back of the body or sound-box of this instrument are concaveupon their inner surface and convex upon the outer, and are madethickest near the center, which is the point of least vibration orgreatest resistance, and thinnest at the edge where they are glued tothe hoop or sides. Such graduation has never before been applied toinstruments of percussion. The back is made solid,

but in the top or sound-board on each side of the bridge, so called,over which the strings pass (and the position of which bridge determinesthe length of string to be used and the position of the frets upon thefinger-board) and near the edge of the top, is out an f or sound hole ofpeculiar but necessary shape, and on each side of the projection of thefinger-board in the secondary air-chamber is another sound-hole ofdifferent shape. These four holes are for the purpose of emitting thesound-waves produced in the body or soundbox by the vibration of thestrings communicated to the top by the bridge and are of just sufficientsize and of proper shape to produce O natural, (as termed in thelanguage of music,) the true acoustical tone of such instrument, and ifsaid holes are varied in size or form the tone will be changed.

Upon the thickest portion of the top or sound-b oard stands thebridge,having two legs or feet and furnished upon its upper edge with ametal wire or fret over which the strings pass. At the rear of this fretis a slight upward proje'ction of the wood, through which are cut slotsof sufficient number to accommodate the number of strings to be used,and which slots prevent the strings from moving and rattling when beingplayed upon.

On the inner or under side of the top or sound-board, with its strongestparts directly under the two legs or feet of the bridge, are glued twobars of wood, pointed at each end and widest in the middle, runninglongitudinally with the grain of the top or sound-board to strengthensaid top in sustaining the weight or tension of the strings when tunedfor playmg.

At the lower end of the body or soundbox of the instrument, and attachedto the hoop with a small'screw or screws, is a metal tailpiece, socalled, bent at an obtuse angle that it may not touch nor rest upon thetop or sound-board, to which is fastened one end of the strings used,the other ends being attached to the pegs or keys in the head of theinstrument, heretofore described.

All taken together, I have a neat, compact, useful, and artisticappearing instrument of peculiar tone and shape having an entirelyoriginal and different character from that of any instrument heretoforemade.

For a better comprehension reference must be had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, in which like symbolsindicate corresponding parts, and wherein- Figure 1 is a front elevationof the complete instrument in its necessary and therefore preferredform, in which A represents the body or sound-box; O, the frettedfingerboard attached to the upper surface of the neck and projectingover but not resting upon nor touching the body or sound-box; D, thecarved or scroll head, through which and projecting from its uppersurface are the pegs or keys a a a a a a; E, the bridge, and F thetailpiece or string-holder. b b b b are the sound-holes, in form asshown.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the swell in the top or sound-boardand back, B the neck, and G the hoop or sides.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross-section of the instrument, showing thearched or concavoconvex form of the top or sound-board and back,(represented by II and I,) graduated thickest in centers and thinnest atedges; also the projecting finger-board C and the bars of wood Kstrengthening the top H, c showing the strengtheningblock inside eachend of the body or sound-box and f f showing V- shaped linings tostrengthen joinin gs of hoop or sides with top and back.

Fig. is an interior plan view of ihe top,

showing the four sound-holes Z) Z) I) I) and the two supporting-bars KK.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the top or sound-board, showinglongitudinal bars or braeings K and the manner of graduation. The pointof greatest thickness of both top and bars or bracings lies immediatelyunder the bridge E, and the graduation is made with this point in View.

Figs. 6 and 7 are the front and end views of the bridge, L Lrepresenting the legs or feet which rest upon the top or sound-board tosupport the strings, and cl the wire fret in the bridge, and g is theprojection of the wood above the fret, in which are cut the slots 0 0 1:c o 0, through which the strings pass and are held in place.

hat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a stringed musical instrument of the percussion class the combinationof an egg shaped main air-chamber, or body, with a smaller secondaryair-chamber, the raised neck with scroll, or carved head, and theprojecting fretted finger-board, the graduated concavo-convexback andtop, or sound-boari'l, the said top having the four f, or sound holes ofthe form shown, and the longitiulinal bars, or bracings, upon theconcave side; also the bridge with its two legs, or feet, fret andslots, the purposes of all of which are substantially herein set forth.

ALBERT HERVE llll lltlllllll.

lVitnesses:

RoBr. LEE Avnnv, CLYDE L. BROOKS.

